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Louise, who is now living with her mum in Netherton , told the ECHO: “I found a lump in my right breast a while ago and it kept coming and going, but I just thought it was to do with my hormones.

“Because we were moving away, I had a tooth out and I had already been visiting my doctor for anxiety which she put down to this huge move, but I also had dimpling in my skin on my breast and I knew something just wasn’t right.”

I was told to prepare for the worst

So Louise’s doctor referred her for ‘a peace of mind’ scan at the Marina Dalglish Centre at Fazakerley Hospital.

The 36-year-old said: “Les and I went to watch the Euros in France and then flew to Ibiza to meet with estate agents to start house hunting.

“My appointment was two weeks later, the day after we got back. I had an ultrasound on the breast and they found a 2cm lump. When they scanned my armpit they said there was also something in the nodes.

“To hear those words was just devastating. Ten minutes later I was given a mammogram and then a biopsy on my breast and armpit - and this was all within the space of two hours, they were fantastic but then they called me into the doctor’s room.”

Louise was then told what they had found was ‘very worrying and to prepare for the worst’.

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Louise Atkinson and Les McKee house hunting in Ibiza before she received the devastating news she has breast cancer

I couldn't even say the word 'cancer'

She said: “I felt like I’d been given a death sentence. I was absolutely devastated, it was the fear of the unknown and because they didn't have the results yet, the worst for me meant death.

“I had to go home and tell Les and the rest of my family. I cried for that first day, but the next day I woke up and thought, they told me to prepare for the worst and that’s what I’m going to do and so I just started researching breast cancer.

“I couldn’t even say the word ‘cancer’ a couple of weeks ago, I was so scared of it, but I’m not anymore, because the more you know about it, the more power you have over what happens to you.”

Louise had to wait a week to find out her diagnosis and went back to her job at Lloyds Bank in Speke , where she and Les, 36, both work in financial services.

“I went back into work the next day and people were saying to me, ‘why are you in work?’ But I wasn’t going to sit at home and cry.

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Louise Atkinson and Les McKee house hunting in Ibiza before she received the devastating news she has breast cancer

“Because of our situation, we had a leaving party booked, people were also saying ‘When are you going? We can’t wait for your party’. It was terrible, but I just had to get on with it.”

On June 30, Louise was then told the news she already knew - she had cancer.

“Les was with me but I knew straight away and said to the doctor, ‘I know what you’re going to tell me and please don’t apologise to me’.

“That’s when she said it’s cancer and a date was booked for a lumpectomy to look at how many nodes the cancer was in.”

But after hearing good things about a consultant at the Royal Liverpool Hospital , Louise decided to transfer her care over.

She said: “Four days later, I met with the consultant. He had done further testing and told me I had grade 1, stage 2 breast cancer and rather than having a lumpectomy, he wanted me to start chemotherapy.”

Louise Atkinson, 36, from Netherton, had planned a new life in Ibiza, when she was diagnosed with breast cancer days before she was set to leave (Image: Ian Cooper)

We're getting our lives back on track

“Half way through the chemo, I'll start another drug called Herceptin. The aim is to shrink the cancer therefore saving more of the breast meaning the surgery will be less invasive.”

Louise and Les met seven years ago in Cyprus and were due to move to Ibiza on July 11.

But despite her diagnosis they are feeling positive and are trying to get their lives back on track including raising funds for Clatterbridge’s New Cancer Hospital Appeal, with more than £4,000 raised so far.

Louise added: “When we explained our situation, Lloyds gave us our jobs back and although we’re now living with my mum, we’ve managed to get a mortgage for a house.

“We haven’t given up on our dream of moving to Ibiza, but our priorities are different now plus during my care I was offered fertility treatment. Kids weren't even on our radar but we decided to go for it.

Louise Atkinson and Les McKee are now set to take part in the Scouse 5k to raise money for Clatterbridge’s New Cancer Hospital Appeal (Image: Ian Cooper)

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We’ve been through a lifetime of milestones in six weeks

“Before starting chemo, we went through fertility treatment at the Women’s and they were amazing too. We had ten days of injections and then egg collection.

“We just can’t believe it, six weeks ago we were this young couple moving for a new life in Ibiza and now we’ve got a mortgage, five embryos in the freezer and going through chemotherapy! We’ve been through a lifetime of milestones in six weeks.

“My treatment is going to be at least two years and for a year after the treatment you’re advised not to have children, so we’ll probably go travelling in those 12 months and then settle down.

“I definitely think the cancer happened to us for a reason, I feel like it’s like someone saying you’re not meant to go to Ibiza, that was not your path in life.

“We’ve caught it early and I’m already on chemo and I feel like we’re getting to the cancer straight away.”

Louise has now inspired dozens of her friends to sign up for the Scouse 5k race on September 18.

Louise added: “The fundraising has really helped me stay positive. I have received such fantastic treatment from Clatterbridge and I want to give something back.”

Pause for Hope

The 18th annual Pause For Hope service for all those affected by cancer will take place at Liverpool’s Metropolitan Cathedral on Sunday, September 11.

Its main speaker will be Professor Chris Holcombe, senior breast cancer surgeon at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital. The ecumenical service will begin at 3pm.

Pause for Hope was initiated in 1999 by Professor Ray Donnelly, MBE FRCS, founder and president of the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation.

This year's Pause For Hope service will take place at Liverpool's Metropolitan Cathedral at 3pm on Sunday, September 11

Annual services are held in Chester, Manchester and Glasgow with one planned for Birmin- gham next March.

The service is supported by all the main cancer charities in Liverpool including Macmillan Cancer Support, Marie Curie Cancer Care, North West Cancer Research, Linda McCartney Centre, the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, St Joseph’s Hospice, the Lyndale Cancer Support and Sunflowers Cancer Support.